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Bounty Hunter (3.5e Class)
Bounty hunter Class description by Robert Rath used with permission, Hunters Creed by Patrick Parker: http://www.community3e.com/dn/class/BountyHunter.pdf In civilized lands, local lords call upon bounty hunters to capture criminals that live or have traveled beyond thier reach or criminals that outclass the knights or soldiers in the lords employ. Closer to the frontier, the bounty hunter might be the only law capable of bringing dangerous criminals to justice. Those who hire bounty hunters both like them, and scorn them. Evil bounty hunters might seek to recapture the innocent or bring selected captives to cult leaders as sacrafices. They might belong to these cults, or work for pay. Evil bounty hunters might also hunt down good adventurers in the name of evil forces. Making a Bounty hunter Abilities: All abilities are crutial to a Bounty hunter, each with its own signifigant impact on his ability to do his job. Strength raises a Bounty hunters combat ability and damage output which he uses to apprehend the criminals, as well as being linked to the number of times a day a Bounty hunter can use his Freedom of movement ability. Dexterity affects a Bounty hunters ability to disable traps and pick locks and his stealth abilities. Constitution raises a Bounty hunters toughness and hit points and therefore his ability to stand against his quarry. A Bounty hunter also gains his constitution bonus as a bonus on saves against special attacks or spells of his quarries. A high intelligence bonus allows a Bounty hunter to have a larger selection of skills and therefore making him a more versitile hunter. Wisdom is directly linked to a hunters track skill which is a staple required ability to hunt down his quarries as well as detecting lies from others while hunting down his quarry. Charisma powers the hunters social skills which allow him to gather information about a quarry, diplomatically negotiate a price for a quarry, bluff his way out of a situation, bully someone around for information or even pretending to be someone else while in disguise. Charisma is also linked to a Bounty hunters urban tracking feat which allows him to track quarries in cities. Background:'''Long ago there was a villian so powerful that the local lords and knights shivered with fear. His fighting skill was such that he would destroy anyone in his path and no one was good enough to fight him. Then a mysterious man came to the king and asked if the king needed assistance in tracking this man down. The king then laughed at the man and agreed to pay him a very heavy sum (not expecting him to return). Weeks went by and there was no word from the mysterious man. Until one day the man marched back into town with the villian thrown over his shoulder. He went to the king to receive his payment and the king stared at him in awe. After receiving the payment the king offered the man his knighthood, but the man refused and walked out of the kingdom never to be seen again. This man was the first Bounty hunter of record. After this many Bounty hunters began to spring up throughout the realm. Showing thier employers thier ability to track, fight and trap, they travel from town to town in order to make money. They have also learned to be masters of disguise. Standing right next to thier prey and falling thier foes without them even knowing what hit them. '''Characteristics: Bounty hunters are relentless in thier persuit of good or evil. Once given a task they will stop at nothing to accomplish thier mission, no matter the difficulty of thier apprehension. They can sense when thier prey is near and become obsessed and focused on thier victim. They also gain amazing speed when in persuit of thier prey and are masters of tracking, stealth and traps. Races: Most races can become Bounty hunters. Humans with thier ambiton and greed like to become Bounty hunters to earn riches by bringing in criminals while some take to Bounty hunting to progress thier abilities while others seek justice for the world. Elves, who normally care little for riches and gold, and who are generally more chaotic in nature find it hard to adapt to the Bounty hunters role. Dwarves sometimes seek justice and have been known to carry a little greed themselves, however, most Dwarves lack the stealth and speed needed to track thier Quarries over long periods of time. The same can be said for Halflings and Gnomes, thier small size prevents them from moving fast enough to catch thier prey and even if speed werent an issue, transporting the Quarry back for reward may also be awkward for these smaller races. Half-orcs and other large races such as Half-Giants, Half-dragons, and the planetouched Aasimar and Tiefling all could make excellent Bounty hunters, especially the Aasimar with thier wisdom and charisma bonuses useful for tracking down the Quarry. Alignment: Bounty hunters must be any non-chaotic alignment. This non-chaotic nature does not represent that the Bounty hunters must follow the law of the land, but rather they all must follow a higher cause, and a higher law .. the hunters creed .. Starting Gold: 6d4 times 10 gp (125 gp). Starting Age: "Moderate" or "As fighter" Class Features All of the following are class features of the Bounty hunter. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Bounty hunters are proficient with all simple and martial weapons and Bounty hunters are proficient with light and medium armors and with bucklers but not any other shields. Class features were taken from the following classes, and listed is the achievable level for the features by the other classes> For Balance with the Bloodhound and Justicar I tried to make sure that the abilities were unlocked later for Bounty hunters than an equivilant character of either class, and I purposely left out the Bloodhounds scent ability. Features were used from: B'loodhound (Complete Adventurer page 28), '''J'usticar (Complete Warrior page 47), 'U'rban 'R'anger (Unearthed Arcana page 55), 'R'anger (Players Handbook page 46), 'Ro'gue (Players Handbook page 49), 'D'ruid (Players Handbook page 34), Ninja of the 'C'resant Moon (Sword and Fist v3.0 supplement page 30) (Abbreviation is class the feature was taken from, and what minimum level that class can get it) ''' : Bounty hunters must follow a code of ethics called The Hunter's Creed, sometimes just referred to as The Creed. The Hunter's Creed is a series of beliefs set fowarth by the first Bounty hunters and is still followed to this day. The Bounty hunter must follow The Creed at all times (See Ex-Bounty hunters below). People Don’t Have Bounties, Only Quarries Have Bounties: This single, cardinal rule, more that any other, defines the way in which Bounty hunters approach their chosen profession. It reflects the idea that sapient beings, to some degree, must be accorded respect. If, however, an individual has a bounty placed on them, he or she ceases to be an individual with rights. No longer a member of the galactic community, the "quarry" becomes fair game. Tears should never be shed over the fate of someone who is after all... "Only a quarry." Capture By Design, Kill By Necessity: In keeping with the loosely defined Hunter code of ethics, killing is sometimes necessary. That’s business, pure and simple. However, unnecessary killing is still murder. The Bounty hunter, unless otherwise directed by those leveling the bounty, must attempt to deliver the quarry alive. Often those leveling the bounty have a vested interest in a live target - and the target might be better off trying to get killed by the Bounty hunter. No hunter Shall Slay Another hunter: Simply put, no matter their origin Bounty hunters see themselves as a special breed. They take their lives (and those of others) into their hands each time they hunt. One may agree with another hunters motives, or damn him for the manner in which they carry out their hunts, but no Bounty hunter may ever knowingly take up arms against a fellow hunter. This law applies only to hunters who themselves follow the creed. Those whom have broken the creed, or those that have a bounty posted on their head are merely quarries. In such cases the ex-hunter is no longer seen as a member of the common fellowship and old scores can now be settled with impunity. The hunter has become the hunted. No hunter Shall Interfere With Another's Hunt: While it is not unheard of for Bounty hunters to work together as a team, the hunt for a given quarry is most often viewed as a form of personal duel between two sapient creatures. In such a duel the hunter matches skills, wit and courage against all the resources that one's opponent can bring to bear. If the hunter wins it is a personal triumph denoting superior skill and intellect, not simply a question of luck. To interfere in another’s hunt, unless first invited is to leave the question of "who is better" open and perhaps forever, unresolved. Of course competition between hunters is often fierce and there is often a very thin line between "compensation" and "interference." This being true, while a Bounty hunter is constrained from taking direct action against another hunter, there is nothing to constrain a Bounty hunter from hiring others to do the dirty work. Of course if such an action, successful or not, can be traced back to the original perpetrator serious consequences inevitably follow. In The Hunt One Captures Or Kills, Never Both: In the case where the quarry has been taken alive, that "choice" cannot be altered. To kill a quarry in the course of the hunt is one thing, but to purposely kill an unarmed, helpless being already subdued and unable to resist is seen as simple slaughter and wanton butchery. A quarry "killed while trying to escape" however, would be an entirely different matter altogether. No hunter Shall Refuse Aid To Another hunter: While no hunter has the right to interfere in another’s hunt, there comes times when even the best among master Bounty hunters require assistance. In extreme cases any hunter may ask and expect to receive aid and assistance from another hunter, even if it means the latter must temporarily suspend his or her own hunt in the mean time to render such aid. Whatever personal grievances or animosities may be involved between the two parties, it is known and understood that Bounty hunters take care of their own. Of course such assistance is not without a price tag, and the arbitration of payment after the fact can often put a substantial dent in the requesting Bounty hunters expected profit. (Ex): A Bounty hunter can target, or mark, an individual humanoid, monstrous humanoid, giant, outsider (native), or any other creature who is partially or mostly humanoid in shape for this to work, such as aasimar, teifling, rakasha, half dragon, dragonkin, mind flayers, zombies, skeletons, vampires, etc. To quarry an individual of the aforementioned creature types a Bounty hunter must focus on a foe who is present and visible, or on the depiction or description of one who isn't for 10 minutes. Any interruption ruins the attempt and forces the Bounty hunter to start the process again. Once the study is complete that target is now called a quarry. A Bounty hunter adds one half of his Bounty hunter level (rounded down to a minimum of +1) as an insight bonus on all gather information, listen, search, spot, and survival checks made to determine the whereabouts of a quarry. As a Bounty hunter gains levels he gains additional abilities that can be used against a quarry. If a Bounty hunter chooses a new quarry before apprehending an existing one, the latter becomes unmarked and is no longer considered a quarry. The Bounty hunter loses an amount of experience equal to what he would have earned from defeating that unmarked creature. A Bounty hunter can choose a quarry a number of times per week as he has quarry spots. For example, a 3rd level Bounty hunter may choose a quarry only once per week, while a 20th level Bounty hunter may choose a new quarry up to 7 times per week. Initially a Bounty hunter can only have one quarry at a time. At 4th and every 3 levels thereafter a Bounty hunter can have an additional quarry, but only if all the quarries are chosen in the same study process. For example a 4th level Bounty hunter could mark two bugbears in the same group of prisoners, or on the depictions of a bugbear and a hobgoblin if both were studied at the same time. If a Bounty hunter gives up on hunting any of his quarries, all remaining marked creatures become unmarked as described above. : (R1) At first level a Bounty hunter gains Track as a bonus feat. (Ex): (B7) At first level a Bounty hunter can use any weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage instead without taking the normal -4 penalty to attack rolls. : (Ro1) Bounty hunters can use the search skill to locate traps when the the task has a Difficulty Class higher than 20. Finding a nonmagical trap has a DC of at least 20, or higher if it is well hidden. Finding a magical trap has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it. Bounty hunters can use the Disable Device skill to disarm magic traps. A magic trap generally has a DC of 25 + the level of the spell used to create it. A Bounty hunter who beats the traps DC by 10 or more with a Disable Device check can study a trap, figure out how it works, and bypass it (with her party) without disarming it. (Ex): (B7) At 2nd level a Bounty hunter can turn a potentially killing blow into an incapacitating one, useful for bringing a quarry back for punishment. At the Bounty hunters option any attack that would reduce any foe to -2 or fewer hit points reduces the foe to -1 instead. A Bounty hunter must choose to use this ability immediately upon reducing his foe to -2 or fewer hit points, and before making any other actions, even before continuing a full attack action, or even before using any feats such as cleave. A raging Bounty hunter can not use this ability. : (UR1) A Bounty hunter gains Urban Tracking as a bonus feat at 2nd level. ( found on page or page 154 in Races of Destiny or page 56 of the Unearth Arcana) (Ex): (D) Starting at 3rd level, a Bounty hunter leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked. He may choose to leave a trail if so desired. : (R3) A Bounty hunter gains Endurance as a bonus feat at 3rd level. (Ex): (B7) At 4th level a Bounty hunter receives a +4 bonus on constitution checks made to resist non-lethal damage from a forced march while tracking a quarry. In addition, a Bounty hunter tracking a quarry can raise his base speed by 10 ft up to a maximum of the quarry's speed. This bonus increases by 10 ft every 4 levels and stacks with all other speed increases. (Ex): (B5) Starting at 5th level a Bounty hunter can move at his normal speed while following tracks without taking the normal -5 penalty. He only takes a -10 (Instead of the normal -20) when moving at up to twice normal speed while tracking. (Ex): (C11) At 6th level, if the Bounty hunter successfully hits a flatfooted opponent with a melee attack, the Bounty hunter may choose that the opponent is unable to speak for 2d2 rounds. This prevents casting spells with verbal components, or shouting warnings or alarms. This ability does not work on creatures immune to critical strikes such as undead. (Ex): (B6) Beginning at 7th level a Bounty hunter is ready for trickery at all times. Against a quarry, he can ready an action against his quarry, even outside the innitive sequence. If the quarry triggers the Bounty hunters readied action at any point within the next 10 minutes, the Bounty hunter can carry out his readied action as though the two were in combat (as long as the Bounty hunter is physically capable of carrying out that action). If the Bounty hunter is incapable of carrying out the action, for instance, if he is too far away to strike the quarry with a melee attack-the readied action is lost. (Ex): (B8) Beginning at 9th level a Bounty hunter can add his Constitution bonus (if any) to will saves made to resist special attacks or spells of his quarry. (Ex): (B8) Beginning at 9th level, a Bounty hunter can move stealthily even at a quick pace. He no longer takes a -5 penalty on hide and move silently checks when moving at any speed up to his normal speed, and he takes only a -10 (instead of the normal -20) on hide and move silently checks when running. (He still takes the normal -20 on such checks when charging.) (Ex): (B9) Starting at 10th level a Bounty hunter can deliver strikes against his quarry with such precision that each successful critical also deals 2 points of strength damage to the quarry. A Bounty hunter can deliver a crippling strike with a melee attack or with a ranged attack from a distance of up to 30 ft. (Su): (B9) Starting at 10th level, a Bounty hunter can track someone under the influence of pass without trace, or similar effect though he takes a -20 on his Survival checks when doing so. (Su): (B10) This ability, gained at 11th level, functions like the see invisibility spell, except that it is constantly in effect, and reveals only invisible quarries. (Su): (B10) When a Bounty hunter reaches 11th level, he gains spell resistance against any divination spells equal to 15 + his Bounty hunter level. This benefit does not affect any other school of spells, nor does it stack with any other form of spell resistance. (Sp): (B11) Once per day, a Bounty hunter of 12th level or higher can produce an effect identical to Locate Creature spell, that also functions on targets that are not quarries, with a caster level equal to his Bounty hunter class level. (Su): (B12) Starting at 13th level the Bounty hunter can act normally regardless of magical effects that impede movement, as if he were affected by a freedom of movement spell. The effect lasts for a total time per day of 1 round per point of strength bonus the Bounty hunter possesses (minimum of 1 round). The effect occurs automatically as soon as its applied, and lasts until it runs out or is no longer needed, and can be used multiple times per day (up to the daily total limit of rounds). The characters caster level is equal to his Bounty hunter level. (Ex): (R13) A Bounty hunter of 14th level or higher can use the hide skill in any sort of natural terrain, even if the terrain does not grant cover or concealment. (Sp): (B14) A 15th level Bounty hunter can use Find the Path, twice per day as the spell. His caster level is equal to his Bounty hunter level. (Ex): (C16) At 17th level the Bounty hunter is always considered to be taking 10 on hide and move silently even while walking around normally, unless the Bounty hunter wants to be seen or heard. The DM must make opposed spot and listen checks for any NPC's to be aware of the Bounty hunters presence. (Ex): (UR17) While in any sort of terrain natural or otherwise a Bounty hunter of 17th level or higher can use the hide skill even while being observed. (Su): (J16) When hunting a quarry, a 18th level Bounty hunter can make a special survival check to determine in which direction a quarry might be found if the quarry is within 1 mile of the Bounty hunter (DC 15 + targets HD). This ability works only against quarries. The DM should roll this check secretly for the Bounty hunter since the character should not know if he failed the check because of the die roll, or because the target is too far away. A Bounty hunter may try to use intuition only once per day. Ex-Bounty hunters A Bounty hunter who becomes chaotic in alignment or grossly violates the Hunter's Creed loses all class abilities (but not the feats or weapon, armor and shield proficiencies). He may not progress farther as a Bounty hunter. He regains his class abilities and advancement potential if he makes amends for his violations as appropriate, preferably with the begrieved party, but if that is not possible (either there is no party to make amends to, or the party in question wants nothing to do with forgiving the Bounty hunter), than with the atonement spell from a cleric of their deity or of the same alignment (see the atonement spell description on page 201 of the Players Handbook). Like a member of any other class, a Bounty hunter may be a multiclass character, but multiclass Bounty hunters face a special restriction. A Bounty hunter who gains a level in any other class other than Bounty hunter may never again raise his Bounty hunter level, though he retains all of his Bounty hunter abilities. The path of a Bounty hunter requires constant focus. If a character adopts this class, he must pursue it to the exclusion of all other careers. Once he has turned off the path, he may never return. Epic Bounty hunters : At 22nd level and every 3 levels thereafter (25th, 28th, 31st, etc) an Epic Bounty Hunter may have an additional target as a quarry at one time. : At 24th level and every 4 levels thereafter (28th, 32nd, 36th, etc), an Epic Bounty Hunter can move an additional 10 feet up to a maximum speed of thier qarries speed. : The epic Bounty Hunter gains a bonus feat every 3 levels after 20th. Human Bounty Hunter Starting Package Weapons: Rapier and Longbow. Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 4 + Int modifier. Feat: Combat Reflexes. Bonus Feats: Track from class and Weapon Focus (Rapier) for Human. Gear: Chain Shirt. Gold: 6d4 X 10. Campaign Information Playing a Bounty hunter Religion: Bounty hunters normally dont have a lot of time outside of thier busy schedule to worship dieties, however some do seek evil for thier lawful diety. Some seek justice for vengeful dieties, or some seeing themselves as the only person capable of upholding the law may worship Tyr. Others prove thier worth in stealth and evil.. Other Classes: Whenever possible, Bounty hunters like to work alone, and why not? They are as stealthy as any rogue and as tough and strong in battle as most fighters. If they are forced to adventure they prefer the company of Druids and Rangers because of thier tracking abilities and same stealthy ways. Barbarians and big armored fighters tend to annoy Bounty hunters. Bounty hunters trust no other class, especially other Bounty hunters since both Bounty hunters could be after the same target. Role: Depending on how a Bounty hunter selects thier skills, a Bounty hunter could act as a scout, tracking ahead and finding suitable areas to camp, or a Bounty hunter could act as the party voice haggling with merchants, lying to city guards, pushing an informant around or negotiating out of a situation. Having both disable device and open locks and trap finding, a Bounty hunter could replace a party rogue disarming traps in a dungeon. A Bounty hunter is also a capable combatant able to hold thier own even if most of thier special abilites are geared only at Quarries. A Bounty hunter is a versatile character who can fill many different rolls.. Advancement: Some Paladins may choose to take a few levels of Bounty hunter before begining on the path of the paladin to be better able to hunt down specific evil foes, or possible going from Bounty hunter over to the career of Assassin, as a Bounty hunter, you would be better able to find your target of assassination. Bounty hunters in the World Adventures: Like earlier stated the bounty hunter normally works for pay. Just how they become bounty hunters is another story. Some are vigilantes, holding a grudge against evil and seeking justice against those who have wronged them. Others just have exceptional skill and decide to put that skill to good use. Evil bounty hunters probably begin adventuring to seek riches and to kill those things that are good in life. Evil bounty hunters are sometimes forced into adventuring to repay some of thier evil debts to someone they owe. Some of them are hired by aristocrats who want to become powerful and pay the bounty hunter to kill whoever is in thier way. Notables: Lucian, Elven Bounty Hunter, believed to be the last of the surviving co-writers of The Creed, reputed to still be alive to this day. Organizations: Very rarely do Bounty Hunters purposely congregate and assemble in one place for socializing. More often, if many Bounty Hunters are in the same area, it is probably due to a substantially high reward placed on a particular quarry and many Bounty Hunters having come to the same place to mark the target as one of their quarries. NPC Reactions: If the Bounty hunter is after the NPC reactions can vary from begging, pleading or possibly even attempts to bribe or guilt the PC into letting them go, such as "Hey look I alway paid my dept be- oh Paul, I don't know any Paul... nevermind what I said friend, may I buy you a beer?" or maybe just outright fleeing. If the Bounty hunter int after the NPC but merely in the same area, likely the NPC will feel unsettled around the Bounty Hunter. Bounty hunter Lore Characters with a lore skill or ranks in knowledge ( can research Bounty hunters to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs. Bounty hunters in the Game Bounty hunters are the ones that lords and nobles turn to when they want a particularly hard criminal brought to justice that none of the warriors or knights in thier employ can capture or defeat, but the security of knowning a Bounty hunter will capture the criminal in due course usually comes with a hefty price tag. Adaptation: To incorperate this class further into your game, you could set up a bounty system. Any NPC that has a bounty placed on them has a tangable gold reward based directly on how powerful the target is via use of a set formula. Such as using the Treasure per encounter table on page ## of the DMG. Find the quarries level on that chart and divide the number by 2. Then multiply the gold amount you now have based on the severity of the crime commited. Such as X1 for Minor crimes, X1.5 for Intermediate crimes, and X2 for Major crimes (see the list of crimes below). Also, some bounty hunters may also charge an additional fee based on the creatures type, i.e +100 if its a humanoid, +200 for monsterous humanoid or Outsider (native) +300 for Giants , +400 for other odd types that qualify for the quarry ability, or +500 for creatures whom the bounty hunter cannot use quarry on. Alternatively, this formula could be a PC Bounty Hunters formula for his minimum asking price. The resulting formula would look something like this: Character wealth per level / 2 X crime bonus + creature tpe fee = Bounty. So for example using the additional fee rule, a level 5 humanoid (goblinoid) Bugbear who commited a singular murder would have a formula looking like this. A level 5 encounter is worth 1600 gp according to the Treasure Values per encounter chart, so that divided by 2 is 800 gp multiplied by 1.5 for the crime type is 1,200 gp + 100 gp for the creature type giving a resulting bounty somewhere in the realm of 1,300 gp, but feel free to play with the amount so the formula doesnt sound so preset. Maybe that bugbear has a bounty of 1285 gp or maybe 1325 gp, just to mix it up some. Another example would be a level 15 mindflayer who commited multiple murders would have a treasure per encounter value of 22,000 gp, divided by 2 would be 11,000 gp and then times two for the crime type would be 22,000 again, and then +400 for the creature type would give a rough bounty of 22,400 gp or some random number slightly lower (22,250) or slightly higher (22,500). Minor Adultry Arson that causes no damage to property Disorderly conduct Indecent exposure Minor theft (less than 1 gp) Stalking Intermediate Aiding and abetting a criminal Arson that causes damage to property Assault Battery Bribery Extortion Incest Moderate theft (less than 100 gp) Perjury Singular Murder Major Arson that causes major damage to property or a death. Conspiracy against the king or church Kidnapping Major theft (more than 100 gp) Multiple Murders Piracy Prostitution Rape Tax Evasion Treason Sample Encounter: The characters are traveling in the wilderness when they are caught up to by a Bounty hunter who isnt interested in talking and attacks the party going after 1 specific member with a purpose. EL 10: Brian Medium Humanoid (Human) Hit Dice: 10d10 (100) + (30 con) + (130 hp max or 85 hp average) Initiative: 6 Speed: 30 ft (Upto 50 feet while a having a quarry with a max speed of 50 ft or higher) Armor Class: Normal 20 ( Armor +5, Dex +2, Magic +2, Deflection +1), Touch 12, Flat Foot 18 Base Attack/Grapple: +10 / +13 Full Attack: +14/+9 1d8 + 4 17-20 X2 Space/Reach: 5 ft / 5 ft Special Abilities: Quarry (4), Nonlethal force, Trapfinding, Bring em back alive, Trackless Step, Tenacious Pursuit (+20 ft), Swift Tracker, Silencing Strike, Ready and Waiting, Hunters Dedication, Move like the Wind, Crippling Strike, Track the Trackless Saves: Fort 10, Ref 9, Will 6 Skills: Bluff, Gather Information, Hide, Move Silently, Sense Motive and Survival 13 ranks Feats: Dodge, Track, Weapon Focus (Longsword), Urban Tracking, Endurance, Improved Inniative, Mobility, Improved Critical (Longsword) Abilities: Str: 17, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 15, Wis 16, Cha 13 CR: 10 Treasure: +2 Chainmail, +1 Longsword, +1 Buckler, Ring of Protection +1, Masterwork Heavy crossbow, 7,700 gp Alignment: Lawful Neutral ----